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HOW TO BOTTOM 

A WELTED SHOE 

BY HAND 




By FRANK I, WEST 




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HOW TO BOTTOM A 

WELTED SHOE 

BY HAND 



By FRANK L. WEST 

Head of Shoemaking Division 




TUSKEGEE NORMAL AND INDUS- 
TRIAL INSTITUTE 



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Institute Press 

Tuskegee Institute, Alabama 

1912 



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£CI.A305730 



PREFACE 



In these lessons I have tried to explain by 
illustrations and as few words as possible the 
different steps which are taken in putting to- 
gether a plain welted shoe by hand. Differ- 
rent shoemakers may have different ideas 
about the same operations, but the ultimate 
results, namely, neatness, comfort and dura- 
bility, are what all are after. After seven- 
teen years of practical work and teaching 
combined, I have found that the methods 
which follow give the desired results. 
Yours very truly, 



Copyright, 1912 
By Frank L. West 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED 
SHOE BY HAND 



SOME FACTS ABOUT COMFORTABLE 
EASY WEARING SHOES 

Easy wearing shoes are generally the result 
of much thought on the part of the work- 
man, beginning with the selection of the last. 
The last should be one that is as nearly the 
shape of the foot as possible. Square toe lasts 
do not always insure comfort. The width of 
the ball and heel of a last has equally as much 
to do with the shoe being comfortable as the 
width or shape of the toe. It is therefore best 
that the shoe be made on a last that is quite 
wide enough for the foot from heel to toe. 

The foot sets square on the insole of an 
easy wearing shoe; whenever the foot begins 
to slip and rest on one side of the insole the 
comfort is lessened. 

The counter of a shoe should never bulge 
over the heel seat. The shank of the shoe 
should be wide enough, especially on the 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

outside. The sole on the outside should al- 
ways be wide enough. The sole at the toe 
should not be wider than it is on the inside 
ball. The soles should not make a squeaking 
noise when being worn. The shoe should 
bend easily when walking, especially across 
the ball. The tread of the shoe should be as 
smooth as rocking in a rocking chair. Work 
that is not neat often takes away the feeling 
of comfortableness. Tacks should never be 
placed and left when there is any liability of 
their ever working through to the foot. 

All of these and even more things must be 
thought of before and while making a shoe. 
The fact that a shoe should be neat, comfort- 
able and serviceable, should be constantly 
borne in mind by the workman. 

The finish on the job is begun the very 
moment the start is made. One careless or 
thoughtless operation may make it impossible 
to finish the job with the desired results. 



PREPARATION OF THE 
COUNTERS 

(See drawings on plate I) 

In these pages I wish to explain how to 
make a normal welted shoe with a medium 
bottom. It is very necessary that one should 
get everything in proper shape before begin- 
ning to make a shoe; that is, counters, boxes, 
innersoles, and everything in order as it 
should be before starting. The sole and heel 
leather should be in case and put away so 
that it will not get out of shape before you 
are ready for it. All knives and other tools 
must be in first-class shape. The bench must 
be clear of all other material or work save 
that on which you are to work. The job 
should be started, if possible, in time to at 
least get the heels on and the edges rasped up 
before leaving for the day. 

The first thing to get in order is the coun- 
ters. The counters should be as wide as the 
vamp and about one-fourth inch longer than 
the heel. Diagram I shows the exact shape of 




^ 





HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

the counter. Notice the heavy lines at the 
edges; these show that the counter at this 
point should be thinner and should retain its 
normal thickness in the center. Diagram II 
shows the section of the counter. Diagram 
III shows the position of the counter in the 
upper before beginning to last. Diagram IV 
shows section of the rear of the upper with 
the counter in its natural position. 



PREPARATION OF THE BOX 

(See drawings on plate II) 

Most shoes are made with boxes in the toe, 
but it is much better for a shoemaker who is 
just learning, to make a shoe without a box, 
in order that he might not become discour- 
aged. Boxes, like counters, should be very 
carefully trimmed and skived. They should 
be the shape of the tip with the exception of the 
ends at either side of the tip where they are 
left long as shown in diagram II. The box 
should be made of material that is flexible, 
yet material that is easily hardened by paste. 
Porous leather, or wide grain leather can ho- 
used to great advantage in making the box, 
because the paste can easily penetrate it; this 
insures and makes a stiff box when the shoe 
is dry. The top of the box under the center 
of the tip is generally left its natural thickness. 
The front and sides of the box are skived very 
thin but not to a feather. The box at the be- 
ginning of the tip line should be skived to a 
feather having a gradual diminish. Diagram 

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Preparation of the Box 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

III shows the top of an upper lasted with the 
long end of the box sticking out at the sides 
or tip line. 

There are three ways in which a box can 



Preparation of the Box 
12 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

be lasted or crimped over the toe. The one 
that is better for the beginner calls for mould- 
ing or crimping of the box over the toe of 
the last before the upper has been put on. 
This is done by placing the box on the 
last, fastening at the tip line and crimping it 
in shape. This stands until it is hard. It is 
better to do this long enough before hand to 
allow the leather to become stiff; after which 
it is taken from the last and put aside until 
wanted. When the lining of the shoe (which 
is lasted first in this case) has been lasted, 
slip the box over the toe, fasten it around the 
edges enough to prevent it from moving 
while lasting the upper over it at the tip. 



13 



PREPARATION OF THE 
INNERSOLE 

(See drawings) 

The innersole being the foundation of the 
shoe, should be carefully fastened and molded 
to the last before beginning to trim it in 
shape. We will presume that the leather has 
been properly cased and cut in the shape of 
the last. In fastening the innersole use as 
many nails as are necessary to hold it in 
proper . place, especially in the shank. It is 
the long shank with its hollow on the inside 
of the last that often causes trouble in the 
making of shoes; by not allowing the inner- 
sole to lay flat at this point (inside shank) . 
Diagram I shows the innersole being molded 
to the last. It is better to put the strap on 
the innersole at the shank first and fasten it at 
this point, then fasten the ball and heel, and 
lastly the toe. Trim the innersole smoothly 
and in shape of the last, paying strict attention 
to the inside shank just after it leaves the ball. 
(See arrow in Diagram II.) It is here that 

14 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

the shoe often seems too large or the inner- 
sole sticks out from under the foot if much care 
is not taken. Often the wearer finds himself 
trying to get his foot on top of the innersole, 
when the innersole itself is really larger 
than the sole of the foot at this point. There 
is nothing to indicate how small the shank 
should be, except the width of the ball, and 
the width of the front part of the heel. The 
innersole will have to be trimmed to a good 
proportion between these two points. It is 
here that taste is used. The small part of the 
shank, however, is seldom wider than the 
front of the heel. In cutting the bar for the 
innersole one must bear in mind two things: 
1 At the toe the shoulder will have to be 
wide enough to hold both, the upper and box 
(when there is to be a box) , and at the same 
time give the shoe the same shape the shoul- 
der gives at the side of the shoe where there 
is no box. 

2. In the shank, the stitches are not to 
be seen generally on shoes, and the bar at this 
point will have to be cut, generally 3-16 inch 

16 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

farther from the edge at the middle of shank 
and heel and blend gradually to its natural 
distance from the edge at the ball and at the 
heel. If this is done properly, the welt, when 
trimmed in the shank, will look, or will be 
just as wide as it is at the ball or at the toe, 
and yet hide the stitches. It is not always a 
wide welt or a narrow welt that makes a wide 
sole or narrow sole, it is generally the width 
of the shoulder. Diagram III shows how the 
holes should be punched at the toe. We 
will call the center of the toe the "hub of the 
last." Like the spokes in a wheel, the awl 
is pushed from this point all around the toe, 
so that each hole will be the same distance 
apart on the outside of the bar. Holes in the 
bar should be not more than 1-4 inch apart 
when punched. They should be punched so 
that the awl will come out in the corner of 
the angle formed by the bar and shoulder. 



17 



LASTING THE UPPER 

Lasting is considered to be, and is, one of 
the most particular operations in making a 
shoe. This operation is so delicate that two 
shoes when lasted over the same last by two 
different men will have a decided or different 
feeling. No two people pull the pinchers 
with the same touch or tension. There will 
be a difference somewhere. We come to the 




Lasting the Upper 

conclusion, then, that one person should, at 
least, last shoes that are to be mates, or shoes 
that are to be worn by the same person. 
Hand lasting is considered the best. 

Before beginning to last a shoe, the upper 

18 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

should be carefully inspected to avoid any un- 
necessary work. Very often uppers are com- 
pelled to be taken from the last because of 
some little trouble which might have been 
detected before beginning, if the workman 
had been careful to inspect the upper before- 
hand. You should see that the counter is in 
straight and well made paste evenly distrib- 
uted over it on both sides and the innersole 



/. 




is fastened well to the last; you should see 
that there is soap stone, tallow, or something 
of the kind rubbed on the last at the heel and 
toe so that there will be no sticking when the 
last is taken from the shoe. Shoes often stick 
to the last (if this is not done) at the toe and at 
the heel. Many good shoes are often ruined 

19 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

because of the workman not taking this pre- 
caution. 

To begin lasting: first place the upper over 
the last as shown in Diagram A, allowing the 
heel of upper and last to be about even. If 
the upper is properly cut there will be an al- 




lowance of about 1-2 inch at the toe and all 
around for lasting. First pull the upper over 
at the toe and fasten with one nail. The next 
pulls are at the tip line on either side as shown 
in Diagrams I and I-A. It is now time to see 
that the upper is exactly straight before going 

20 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

further. The material that is between the tip 
line and the center of the toe must be crimped 
in smoothly after the offset lasting; which is 
done by pulling the upper down just where 
the shank begins, on both sides, as shown 
in Diagram II, arrow 1. This will determine 
just how straight the shoe will be when lasted 
between the shank and the tip line. The 




material between these points will be evenly 
distributed afterwards. Next pull down the 
shank and heel as shown in Diagrams II 
and II-A. The surplus between the tip line 
and the toe must now be divided and lasted 
so that there will be no bulging of material 
out of its own place. You will note that in 
this case no box was put in. When the box, 
which must have been crimped in shape, is 

21 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

used, the lining and leather at the toe is 
lasted down smoothly. After the offset last- 
ing the leather at the toe is pulled back and 
the paste is applied to lining, after which the 
box is slipped over toe and the leather lasted. 
Make sure that paste is well distributed be- 
tween leather and box also. There is a 
straight pull at the side of the toe, pulling 




towards the hub of the toe. All pulling must 
be toward the hub with a slight twisting to- 
ward the preceding pull or nail. When plac- 
ing nails try to place them in their permanent 



22 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

position so that they will not have to be re- 
placed. Replacing means the loss of time 
which might have been saved. 

Next, last down the material between the 
toe or tip line and the ball, distributing it 
very carefully. Next last down the material 
between the ball line and heel line; be sure to 
pull the upper at right angles to the vamp 
line, beginning where the ball and shank 




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meet and ending at the end of the heel seat. 
Arrows on Diagrams II and III show just the 
direction in which the upper should be pulled 
at all points. The last part to be crimped in 
is the heel. Be careful to see that the lining 

23 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

at the heel is not wrinkled. If the lining 
and upper are the same length it can be easily 
determined whether or not there will be 
wrinkles by having the upper and lining the 
same length before beginning the crimping. 
Be sure that all nails around the bar of the 




shoe are placed in the angles of bar and 
shoulder on innersole. See Diagram B. 
After the shoe is lasted be sure and mould the 
counters and tips in shape before the shoe is 
trimmed. 



24 



PUTTING ON THE WELT 

Welting is a very particular operation; 
being a part of the foundation of the shoe it 
necessitates strong, level and accurate work. 
The welt leather, like sole leather, must be 
in good temper, that is, moist and flexible, 
because it has to be pulled well to all curves 
of the last and serves to hold the whole shoe 
together. The welt holds the upper to the 
innersole and outersole to the upper. We pre- 
sume that the holes have been punched in the 
innersole properly; that is, straight and flat as 
mentioned in the previous lesson. The welt 
should blend from the heel. It is best to 
bevel the side of welt, that is to lay next to 
upper. (See Diagram I, arrow points to 
beveled part that lays next to upper) . Before 
beginning to sew, it should be skived off at the 
end about one-half inch, or enough to take 
two stitches at the end. The first stitch (see 
Diagram IV) is made in the innersole and 
upper, pushing the awl from the inside 
through the upper. The next stitch is made 

25 



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26 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

catching the end of the welt and is overcasted 
on the welt. The greatest pulling is done 
with the right hand. For instance, if the 
workman is right-handed, he pulls harder on 
the outside stitch, making sure, however, to 
pull the inside seam up well and tight. Over- 
casting on the outside or on the welt helps 
the stitches to lay flat and prevents pulling 
through. In pushing the awl through, every 
precaution must be taken to guard against a 
round or high seam. To prevent such a 
seam the awl should be pushed through the 
bar so that it will come out directly in the 
corner of angle (as shown in Diagram III) of 
the bar and shoulder. It is absolutely neces- 
sary that the upper be lasted and held in 
proper place here (at the bar) so there will 
be no straining while stitching by trying to 
pull it close to the bar. Diagram II shows 
upper held in its proper place in angle of bar 
and shoulder. When the upper is out of 
place and tacks placed on top of the bar, the 
upper is often torn between the shoulder 
and bar by pulling it to its proper place. 

27 



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Putting on the Welt 



28 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

This will be avoided if the tacks are set right 
when lasting. After the welt has been 
stitched, it should be trimmed close to the 
bar (see Diagram V) and straightened before 
allowing it to dry, especially around the toe. 



29 



FILLING THE BOTTOM 

After the welt has been straightened and 
trimmed (the welt is trimmed to just the 
shape and width that the outersole is to be) , 
the next operation is filling tbe bottom, put- 
ting in steel shanks and preparing for the 
outersole. Most steel shanks are provided 
with holes at both ends through which a tack 
might be driven to fasten them in their proper 
place. It is not best, however, to fasten the 
shank at the ball of the shoe with a tack, be- 
cause the tack often causes trouble to the 
wearer after the shoe has been made. It is 
better at this place (Diagram I, see arrow) to 
cut a slant place in the innersole. partly 
through, just wide enough to hold the end of 
the shank at this point. After it has been in- 
serted, push it down well to the last of the in- 
nersole, and fasten with a tack at the heel. 

Diagram II. To make shoes flexible and 
comfortable, it is necessary on a good inner- 
sole to slice or cut them partly through, mak- 
ing the cuts about one-eighth inch apart, run- 

30 





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Putting in Steel Shank Making the soles flexible 



31 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WFXTED SHOE 

ning across the sole as shown in Diagram II. 
It is not necessary to slice the sole beyond the 
tip line because the shoes are not generally ex- 
pected to bend at the toe. Next fill the space 
between the insole and outersole with tar felt 
as shown in Diagram III. This felt should 
extend over the whole innersole between the 
seams, and to avoid crying it should be put 
thinly over the bar all around. 

Diagram IV shows the outside sole cut in 
shape and skived in the shank. 

The outside sole is skived in the shank, not 
because a thinner or weaker shank is wanted, 
but because the shank, in order to look neat, 
is finished with a bevel edge. Take a piece 
of leather 1-4 inch thick and bevel a part of 
it, the edge on the beveled partwill look to be 
thicker than the edge on the part that is not 
beveled. — It is this apparent thickness that we 
wish to avoid. To overcome this, the part 
that is to be beveled in the shank must be 
trimmed enough to offset the thick appear- 
ance. See Diagrams C and D on opposite 
side of the sole. 

32 




Filling the bottom 



Skiving the outside sole 



33 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

The solid lines on Diagram C represent a 
piece of leather 1-4 of an inch thick. Notice 
the arrow pointing towards the square edge. 
The dotted lines on same diagram represent a 
thinner piece of leather beveled on the edge 
and show that beveling causes the thinner 
piece to look as thick at the edge as the thicker 
piece. The solid lines on Diagram D repre- 
sent a thinner piece of leather beveled. The 
dotted lines on the same diagram represent a 
thicker piece of leather square on the edge 
and proves that beveling caused the thin 
piece of leather to seem as thick on the edges 
as the thick piece would looked squared. 
The shank of the sole is therefore skived on 
the edges only when a beveled shank is 
desired. 



34 



MOULDING AND FITTING 
THE SOLE 

Now that the welt is trimmed properly and 
the bottom filled and the outersole trimmed 
in rough shape and skived, proceed to mould 
and fit the sole. In moulding there is one very 
particular point to bear in mind, i. e., a dis- 
advantage must be overcome. It is this: on 
the last the inside shank is longer than the 
outside shank, and too, it has a much greater 
hollow. To prove this, take a piece of cord 
and measure from A to B, Diagram II, and 
from C to D, following the outside of your 
innersole, and you will find that the distance 
is greater from C to D. This is caused, not 
only by the inside shank being longer 
but by the hollow of the inside shank being 
greater than that of the outside shank also. 
The outside sole which is perfectly flat at 
first, must be moulded or stretched to fit this 
particular place; if not, the sole will probably 
rip between C and D. The sole must be 
stretched at this point so that it will conform 

35 



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Moulding and fitting the sole 



36 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

easily to the shape of the last. Since the 
threads in the shank which hold on the outer- 
sole are generally put in at an angle, every 
care must be taken to see that this sole is well 
moulded, because the stitches when put in at 
an angle, cannot be as strong or hold as well 
as when put in perfectly square. The sole 
must also be molded to fit the ball, because 
the threads will have enough to do to hold it 
(the sole) in its place. 

Making sure that the sole is properly skived 
and well moulded, proceed to fasten it to the 
shoe for trimming. First lay the sole on the 
shoe, hold it down well in the shank with the 
strap, just as the innersole was held; fasten 
the ball first, with one nail directly in center, 
and then the heel. Tap it all around with 
hammer to be sure it lays well to the welt. 
The nails should be placed: one in the 
center of the toe, one in the center of the ball 
at the shank line, two or as many as necessary 
in the heel seat. Begin to trim the sole on 
the inside of the shoe, and rough-trim the 
whole sole, after which trim the sole again 

37 




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Moulding and fitting on the sole 



38 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

square to the welt around the forepart, next 
bevel the shank, beginning (to bevel) just 
around the shank and forepart line as shown 
in Diagram III, line A. Now round up the 
heel seat, leaving sole wide enough to work 
on. With the sole well trimmed, the next 
thing to do is to cut the channel. The chan- 
nel is generally cut about 1-8 inch from the 
outer edge of the sole, or about the width of 
the guard of the iron with which the shoe is to 
be set up. See Diagram IV showing the iron 
with its guard resting at the edge of the chan- 
nel. The channel is cut just as far from the 
bevel edge in the shank as it is from the 
square edge of the forepart. This 1-8 inch in 
the shank is left to work on when fitting 
the edge to the iron. 



39 



STITCHING ON THE SOLE 

In making ready to stitch on the sole, see 
that the hands are free from grease, the awl 
is well sharpened, and everything around you 
which might catch in your thread is out of the 
way. Generally in a normal shoe, six strands 
are used in the forepart and seven or eight 
are used in the shank. The shanks, because 
of their shape, are compelled, as stated be- 
fore, to be stitched in most cases with slant- 
ing stitches. This is one reason why a larger 
thread is needed at this point. Some shoe- 
makers use the inseaming awl to sew the 
shanks, because it is much easier to use than 
a square awl. It is better, however, to stitch 
the whole shoe with a square awl, because the 
stitches which are made with the square awl 
are generally stronger. Two awls are neces- 
sary: a larger awl for the shank, a smaller awl 
for the forepart. In either case, the awls 
should be smaller than both ends of threads 
when put together, because they (the threads) 
should be forced into the hole which the awl 

40 



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Stitching on the Sole 



41 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

has made. There is quite a slight in the use 
of the stitching awl; the blade of the stitching 
awl, being flat, is sure to break if it is twisted 
after it has been pushed into the sole. It is 
therefore necessary to push the awl in with 
two motions only; one is towards the welt, 
the other is a downward motion of the handle 
as shown by arrow in Diagram I. The awl 
should not be pushed further through than is 
necessary to make the hole large enough for 
the bristled part of the thread to be pulled 
through. The rest of the end is forced or 
pulled through and offers a resistance. The 
awl when pulled out is handled with two mo- 
tions, just as it was when being pushed in, 
only backward. The straight arrow shows 
the motion of the blade in the sole, the curved 
arrow shows the motion of the handle which 
is held in the workman's hand. 

If the hole is properly made it will remain 
square and insure a square stitch. The threads 
are generally overcasted on the welt; the 
length of the stitches is made to suit the taste 
of the workman. A good stitch in the sole is 

42 



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Stitching on the Sole 



43 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

about eleven to the inch; in the shank about 
nine to the inch. Diagram III shows the 
stitch in the sole and welt with the channel 
not closed. 

To close the channel dampen the part that 
is turned back with a sponge. (It is best to 
dampen whole sole to avoid splotches.) 
With the back of the hammer rub it down 
diagonally all around, after which rub the 
whole bottom with the handle of the ham- 
mer or a rub stick. Never rub the stitches 
down in the channel with any instrument that 
will make the channel spread. If this is done 
it is extremely hard to make a neat job in 
closing. Diagram IV shows the channel 
after it has been closed. 

After this see that the whole bottom is per- 
fectly level while damp. Mold the shank 
well to shoe again. 



44 



BUILDING THE HEEL 

Before beginning to build the heel or Jo 
put the leather on the shoe for the heel, it is 
best to see that enough leather is properly 
prepared for each heel. The preparation of 
the leather means to have it well in case, well 
skived, and the pieces trimmed to their re- 
spective sizes, leaving them just enough 
larger to work on. See Diagram I. In skiv- 
ing the heel pieces, it is better to take from 
them all meaty substances and all of the out- 
side surface. The heart of the leather makes 
a better heel. An inside surface when put to- 
gether with an outside surface will not allow 
the heel to properly blend, and will nearly 
always show where they are joined. The first 
tap of the heel should be hollowed out in the 
center to suit the seat of the heel on the outer- 
sole which is generally a little round on the 
bottom, see Diagram III. 

Some shoemakers skive the sole instead of 
skiving the first tap. Skiving the sole gen- 
erally weakens the heel at the seat. It is bet- 

45 



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Building the Heel 



46 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

ter to let the main foundation, which is the 
sole, retain its whole strength by skiving the 
first heel lift instead. The first lift should be 
fastened to the sole with as many tacks as are 
necessary to hold it until it is roughly 
trimmed. See that this lift is level before 
putting on the remaining lifts. The remain- 
ing lifts, minus the top lift, are put on next 
with enough nails to hold them until they are 
roughly trimmed in shape. Next nail the 
heel down with nails long enough to clinch 
on the innersole. See if the heel will be level 
with the top lift, by placing the top lift under 
the heel and resting the shoe on a level sur- 
face. The heel at its proper height should 
allow the seat, or heel of the shoe at the bot- 
tom of vamp to be level. Next fasten the top 
lift to the heel and trim it the exact shape you 
wish the heel to be when finished. See Dia- 
gram II. Next, nail it down, putting as many 
nails on the inside of the heel as are necessary 
to hold the tap in place. The outside of the 
heel should be nailed thick enough to pro- 
tect the heel. The nails should be placed 1-8 

47 



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Building the Her 



48 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

inch from the edge of heel. Of course, if a 
person runs the shoe over from the inside, the 
nails should be changed to suit them. Dia- 
gram VII shows the difference in lasts, and 
how these lasts require different heels. The 
height of the instep of the last generally 
determines the height of the heel. The three 
outlines of Diagram VII show different heel 
seats; the distance from each heel seat to the 
floor- line shows the height of each heel. 
When the heel is finished it should rest slightly 
on the breast (see Arrow B, Diagram V, side 
view of heel, and Diagram VI, rear view of 
heel) and not quite touch the floor at the back. 
This is to help in walking, for if the heel 
should set perfectly flat on the floor, the effect 
in walking would be clubby, but by allowing 
the heel to rest, as shown in Diagram V, the 
walking will be more like rocking in a rock- 
ing chair. 



49 



PREPARATION OF EDGES AND 
BOTTOM FOR FINISHING 

Before beginning to prepare the edge and 
the heel of the shoe for the ink and burnish- 
ing, see that both heel and bottom are level, 
free from all ridges or bumps. After the 
stitches on the welt have been rubbed down, 
trim the edges of the sole as nearly the right 
shape as possible, after which, rasp it well in 





First and second steps in prepartion of forepart edge 

shape with the rough round side of the rasp. 
Next trim the heel in the shape desired, and 
rasp it up well. Be sure that the buffer is 

50 






HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

sharpened well. The idea is to make the 
edge of sole fit the iron which is convex. For 
this reason we are using the convex end of 
the buffer and side of the rasp, in order that 
the edge might be concave. With the buffer, 
buff the edge until it is smooth. See that the 
welt is trimmed with welt knife and rubbed 





Third and fourth steps in preparation of forepart edge 

down smooth with the bone. Try the iron to 
see what or how much is to be taken from the 
edge of the sole on the bottom. Diagram III 
will show the sole and just how much will 
probably have to be taken from the outer side 
for the iron. This piece of sole is cut away 



51 





First and second steps in preparation of the shank edge 





Third and fourth steps in preparation of the shank edge 

52 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

with the square point knife; sometimes with 
the lip knife. After the sole has been bev- 
eled on the edge to fit the iron, rasp it off 
lightly with the fine side of the rasp and then 
buff and sand-paper it. Diagrams I to IV 
show the different stages of the edge of fore- 
part. Diagram IV shows the edge and iron 
together. 

Diagrams I to IV which follow show the 
shank which has been treated in the same 
way as the forepart. After getting the sole 
in shape proceed to finish the heels. 



53 



PREPARATION OF THE 
FOR FINISHING 



HEEL 



Diagrams I to V show the heel in its differ- 
ent stages. The arrow on Diagram II shows 
the direction to push the rasp. It is rasped 
this way to make the layers of leather blend. 





/. ?• 

First and second steps in preparation 
of heel for finishing 

After the heel is rasped the edge of sole at ar- 
row on Diagram III is cleaned or cut out 
with the welt knife. In cutting see that the 
line beginning at the welt is kept straight and 
level all around the heel seat. The rhan 
break is used next at arrow 2 around the seat 



54 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

of the heel to file the material close to the up- 
per. Buff the heel down and sand-paper it 
until it is real smooth. Diagram V shows 
how the heel will appear when finished if 
properly cleaned. 



¥ 





a 

Third, fourth and fifth steps in preparation of heel for finishing 



55 



BUFFING, CLEANING AND POLISHING 
THE BOTTOM 

After having prepared the edges, the next 
thing in order is the cleaning of the bottom 
and making ready for ink. Be sure that the 
nails in the bottom of the heel are filed and 
rasped even with the leather so that they can- 
not be felt with the finger. In buffing the 
bottom, be sure that you buff with the grain 
of the leather. The arrows on Diagram I 
show the direction in which the bottom is 
buffed if the grain is running towards the toe. 
If the soles have been cut end for end, from a 
piece of leather, it will be necessary to buff 
the soles in different directions to suit the 
grain. After the bottom has been made as 
smooth as possible with the buffer, begin to 
sand-paper. It is best to sand-paper in circles 
on the bottom as indicated in Diagram II by 
arrows. Sand-papering straight up and down 
the bottom generally leaves scratches. To 
make the ink take well the bottom should be 
left like velvet. Two sizes of sand-paper 

56 





Buffing bottom Sand-papering bottom 



57 




Bottom after being cleaned 



Bottom after edges are set 

up. Shows impression of 

guard on outer edge 



58 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

should be used: the larger size(l 1-2) at first, 
and No. 0, or finer, last. If the sole is buffed 
to a very smooth surface fine sand paper may 
be sufficient. If this is done as indicated by 
arrows, the result will be favorable. Dia- 
gram III shows the bottom after it has been 
cleaned. 



59 



BURNISHING THE EDGE 

The edge is now dampened and burnished 
first to be sure that the iron fits well. In 
burnishing the edge the shoe is held firmly in 
the left hand and the burnishing iron held 
firmly in the right hand. The iron is pushed 
back and forth around the damp edge until a 
good square impression is made on edge. 
The little bead of the iron will show on the 
welt and the impression of the guard of the 
iron will appear on the bottom edge of sole. 
(See Diagram IV of previous lesson, heavy 
black line.) Set up the shank in the same 
way; make the bead appear on the welt. 
Press the iron firmly against the sole to help 
make the shank lay to the upper. If properly 
set up, the impressions of the lip and bead 
will be against the upper. 

Next divide the stitches on the forepart 
with the stitch divider, being sure not to 
break the bead on the welt. Do not scratch 
against the upper with divider. 

After stitches are divided apply burnishing 

60 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

ink to the edge and let it set until mediumly 
dry. During this time the edge irons should 
be heating; when they are hot (enough only 
to dry water quickly when applied) brush the 
edge and proceed to burnish. 

If a white or light bottom is desired, the 
bottom is cleaned after the edges are finished. 
A good finish at this stage will be a thin coat 
of liquid tan polish evenly distributed and 
rubbed down with the grain and left to dry. 
If a black bottom is desired, the shank slicker 
will have to be used to burnish after the ink 
has been distributed and the bottom may be 
cleaned before finishing the edge. Place the 
slicker on the lamp; while it is heating, distrib- 
ute the ink evenly over the bottom. By the 
time the slicker or burnisher is warm enough 
for use, the ink will be about ready. The 
proper way to test the heat of the burnisher is 
by applying water from the sponge; if the bur- 
nisher is at a right temperature, the water will 
not spatter, but will simply dry on the bur- 
nisher gradually. Brush the bottom well and 
begin to burnish. Hold the shoe between 

61 



HOW TO BOTTOM A WELTED SHOE 

the knees and rub lightly backward and for- 
ward, making sure the slicker does not stop 
abruptly at any point. After the ink has 
come to a shine, brush well again with the 
brush and rub briskly with a woolen cloth. 
This will give the bottom a high polish. 



62 



TAKING THE LAST OUT OF 
THE SHOE 

After the shoe has been finished, it should 
be allowed to remain on the last until it is 
thoroughly dry. Best results are gotten from 
a shoe when it is made at least a month before 
it is to be worn. At any rate the workman 
should see to it that his job is well seasoned 
before it is taken from the last. Often the 
comfort which would be the wearer's and 
the praise which would be the workman's, all 
are lost because the shoe was taken from the 
last too soon, and lost its shape. 

To take the last out of the shoe one cannot 
use too much care. The block should be re- 
moved first and the tack which holds the 
counter in position at the heel should be re- 
moved. Much pains must be used to see 
that the upper is not bursted at the vamp in 
front. The last should not be pulled against 
the top of the vamp more than is absolutely 
necessary. Just as soon as the heel allows, the 
last should be pulled towards the heel. 

After the last is out, the bottom of the 
shoe should be carefully examined on the in- 
side to see if there is anything there which 
would hurt the foot of the wearer. Heel 
pads should be put on the insole at the heel to 
cover the clinched nails. The shoe should 
then be put in shape, dressed, laced or but- 
toned and set aside to dry and await the com- 
ing of the wearer. 

63 




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